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Sunday, 21 June 2015

What's your plan B?

Question 1. Let’s be honest, some people have useful information
to impart. But there a lot of fools out
there. Why would you want to learn from just
anyone?

Question 2. Which one is it that makes you wise? Learning from everyone or seeing the future?

A certain fellow
deposited his document of credit with the court with the instructions, “If I do
not return within thirty days, I hereby relinquish my rights.” In the end, he was held up due to an
emergency.

Rav Huna says: Tough
luck. He has relinquished his rights.

Rava says: Emergencies
do not count. He has not relinquished his
rights.

The Gemara asks Rava:
How is that case different from the following?

A fellow gave his wife
a conditional gett (bill of divorce) and said, “If I don’t return within thirty
days, this gett shall take effect.” On
the thirtieth day, he arrived just as the last ferry was departing. He stood on the other side of the river
waving and shouting, “I’m here! I’m here!”
Shmuel ruled: He has failed to arrive as promised and the gett is in
force.

Rava answers:
Foreseeable emergencies are different.
He should have thought ahead about the ferry schedule and so that is not
considered beyond his control.

Rabbi Dr. Abraham J. Twerski explains how seeing the future
and learning from every person are one and the same. Unless you’re a prophet, you cannot actually
look into the future. But the wise man
is one who can foresee the outcomes of his actions. How?
By looking around at others’ successes and failures and not making the
same mistakes they made and thereby failed; rather choosing the path that leads
to success.

You can’t find success in a vacuum. You need to rely on others’ experiences to
assist you in your decision-making. You could
try driving without wearing a seatbelt, but if you’re smart, you’ll recognize
from others’ experiences that that could spell bad news. You could try crossing a busy street while
texting, but if you’re wise, you’ll know that others have tried that with
unfortunate consequences.

You can’t foresee all possibilities. Some major emergencies and calamities are
completely unforeseeable. Rava says that
you’re never liable if an earthquake strikes.
But when it comes to emergencies that you could have foreseen and
expected, you must have a contingency plan.
Famed motivational speaker Tony Robbins says that whenever you chart a
course of action you need to create three backup plans!

We often complain that we didn’t do what we needed to
because something came up. It was beyond
your control. But emergencies only count
if you couldn’t foresee them and plan for them.
Foreseeable emergencies are not excusable. May you always have a plan B, a plan C, and a
plan D, for when things don’t quite go as you originally planned!